Rugby

Kenya Morans finish sixth at Rugby Africa Men's 7s after defeat to Zimbabwe

Kenya Morans in action in Mauritius (C) Arigi Abiero / Kenya Rugby Union

By Rama Mohammed | Sunday, June 30, 2024

Kenya Morans now eyes redemption in next weekend's second leg at the same venue

Kenya Morans finished in sixth place at the Rugby Africa Men's 7s after falling to Zimbabwe Cheetahs 28-19 in the fifth-place playoff at the Labourdonnais Sports Grounds in Mauritius. The Morans will now prepare for the tournament's second leg, scheduled for next weekend at the same venue.

In the match, Kenya's opening kick-off failed to travel the required 10 meters, granting Zimbabwe possession. Mandaza capitalized by scoring the opening try, which was converted for a 7-0 lead. The Cheetahs extended their advantage to 14-0 with a try from Musumhi, who also added the conversion.

Kenya's William Mwanji responded by breaking through Zimbabwe’s defense to score a try, although it went unconverted. In the second half, Kenya’s Victor Odhiambo scored with a conversion from Festus Shiasi, narrowing the gap to 14-12. However, Zimbabwe widened their lead with a try from Edward Sigauke, converted by Musumhi, making it 21-12.

Joel Inzuga gave Kenya hope with a converted try, bringing the score to 21-19. But Kenya couldn’t contain Sigauke, who scored under the posts, securing a 28-19 victory for Zimbabwe.

Kenya Morans’ performance in Mauritius

Kenya Morans entered the tournament as defending champions, starting strong with a 40-0 victory over Mauritius and a 25-0 win against Nigeria. However, their winning streak was ended by Madagascar, who narrowly defeated them 7-5 in the final pool match.

In the quarterfinals, Kenya fell to South Africa 12-7, a repeat of the 2023 Rugby Africa Men’s Cup final where Kenya had triumphed 17-12. This loss dropped them to the fifth-place playoff, where they defeated Ivory Coast 22-5 to reach the fifth-place finals. Ultimately, Zimbabwe defeated them, placing Kenya sixth overall.

Despite the loss, the Morans, who serve as the feeder team for the Shujaa, have gained valuable lessons to apply in upcoming tournaments.

About the 2024 Africa Men's 7s

This year’s tournament format is unique, spanning two weekends—this weekend and July 6-7. The extended format presents both opportunities and challenges, with the overall winner determined by points accumulated across both rounds. Teams’ finishing positions after the knockout phase will earn ranking points, used for seeding in the second round's pool draw. The top two ranked teams after both rounds will qualify for the 2025 World Rugby 7s Challenger Series.